Native American Heritage Day is a civil holiday observed on the day
after
ThanksgivingThanksgiving in the United States.
National legislative history[edit]
President
George W. BushGeorge W. Bush signed into law legislation introduced by
Congressman
Joe BacaJoe Baca (D-Rialto), to designate the Friday after
ThanksgivingThanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day. The Native American
Heritage Day Bill[1] was supported by the National Indian Gaming
Association (NIGA) and 184 federally recognized tribes, and designates
Friday, November 28, 2008, as a day to pay tribute to Native Americans
for their many contributions to the United States.
The
Native American Heritage Day Bill encourages Americans of all
backgrounds to observe Friday, November 28, 2008, as Native American
Heritage Day, through appropriate ceremonies and activities. It also
encourages public elementary and secondary schools to enhance student
understanding of Native Americans by providing classroom instructions
focusing on their history, achievements, and contributions.
The House of Representatives originally passed H.J. Res. 62 on
November 13, 2007. The bill was passed with technical adjustments by
unanimous consent in the
United StatesUnited States Senate on September 22, 2008.
Then, on September 26, 2008, the House of Representatives unanimously
voted to pass the legislation again, this time including the
adjustments from the Senate. The legislation was signed into public
law by the President on October 8, 2008.
Some individual states have also taken legislative action to recognize
this day. For example, Maryland established this day in 2008 under the
name American Indian Heritage Day.[2]
In addition to calling
ThanksgivingThanksgiving the "National Day of Mourning,"[3]
some Native Americans believe it is "poor taste" for Native American
Heritage Day to be on Black Friday - "a day of excess and gluttony and
greed and aggressive capitalism" - which itself "falls after a holiday
that omits the murder and mutilation of Natives [in which they] mourn
the millions of indigenous people who died as a result of aggressive
settler colonialism."[4]
References[edit]

Legend:
(federal) = federal holidays, (state) = state holidays, (religious) =
religious holidays, (week) = weeklong holidays, (month) = monthlong
holidays, (36) = Title 36 Observances and Ceremonies
Bold indicates major holidays commonly celebrated in the United
States, which often represent the major celebrations of the month.
See also: Lists of holidays, Hallmark holidays, public holidays in the
United States, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the United States
Virgin Islands.